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Canon 50mm f/1.8 Serenar
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 1:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
This lens had the nickname "Summicron Killer" in it's day.

The later black and chrome version is lighter because it's all aluminum or other lightweight alloy, where the chrome version is almost all solid brass.

But the black and chrome version is exceedingly prone to internal haze that permanently damages the glass. To be bought with extreme caution.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 11:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kuuan wrote:
just like memetph' copy mine says "Canon lens", not Serenar. According to Kitchingman it is a 'type 4', the last and most common, serial No. 88496 to 170760, 82.000+ copies made between 4/53 to 3/56, of the fully chrome Canon 1.8/50.
Type 3 and 4 say "Canon lens", not Serenar, but as on Cameramuseum any version that is fully chrome commonly might be referred to as a Serenar.
@ LifesShort or anyone interested in Ktchingman's amazing book: when I got mine ordering from him directly via email had been the only way, his email address: peterk@canonrangefinder.com

Canon f1.8 50mm by andreas, on Flickr

hardly have been using it, battled instead with various copies of the later 'black' versions which all have haze to some degree. The fully chrome is clean and seems to outperform them all. It feels so very heavy for such a small lens, my copy acc. to Kichingman weighs 271 grms, that is almost 100 grms more than the somewhat bigger, later black versions.
a sample taken with the Ricoh GXR M

Untitled by andreas, on Flickr


Thank you for the info on where to get Peter Ktchingman's book. Judging by the photos of your lens, I'd say yours is in much better shape than mine. Cosmetically, mine looks very good. However, I'm afraid there was some permanent lens damage caused by the fungus and haze that was in the lens. It doesn't seem to affect picture quality, though.

BTW, thanks for your sample photo. It's beautiful. You definitely have a keeper in that lens.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 12:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
John Shriver wrote:
But the black and chrome version is exceedingly prone to internal haze that permanently damages the glass. To be bought with extreme caution.


I read this somewhere when I was first doing research on this lens. I wonder why some lenses seem to be more susceptible to haze/fungus than others. Maybe lens manufacturers should take a hint from paint manufacturers and start adding fungicides to their coatings! Laugh 1


PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 9:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LifesShort wrote:
John Shriver wrote:
But the black and chrome version is exceedingly prone to internal haze that permanently damages the glass. To be bought with extreme caution.


I read this somewhere when I was first doing research on this lens. I wonder why some lenses seem to be more susceptible to haze/fungus than others. Maybe lens manufacturers should take a hint from paint manufacturers and start adding fungicides to their coatings! Laugh 1


Keep in mind that these lenses were designed and built in the 1960s-1970s. I doubt that there was any information available to these designers on how well the glass, coatings and lubricant would survive 50+ years.
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